The human eye is sensitive to light over a very wide range of intensities. It is desirable for images to have high dynamic ranges to accurately reproduce real scenes. High-performance image sensors, such as high-performance CCD arrays, are capable of acquiring images having high dynamic ranges. New generations of display devices promise to provide significantly improved dynamic range over conventional display technology.
Most existing movies, videos, and still images are recorded in formats that provide a dynamic range that is significantly lower than these new generations of display devices can produce. In the future, evolving camera technology and file formats will provide high fidelity content for these display devices. In the near term it would be desirable to provide a way to enhance the dynamic range of lower-dynamic-range media (e.g. image data in a lower-dynamic-range (LDR) format). This would permit viewers to enjoy at least some of the benefits of high-dynamic-range displays while enjoying existing media.
Viewers of theater imaging systems (projectors) and home-theater systems can be very discerning. In these and other applications, it would be desirable to provide images that are substantially free from noticeable artefacts.
In some applications it would be desirable to enhance the dynamic ranges of images (e.g. to produce an enhanced image signal) in real-time.